Exploring the Lost Treasures of the State of Chihuahua
Chihuahua, the biggest state in Mexico, is surrounded by vast deserts and rugged mountains dotted with pine trees. There is still an immense terrain that has yet to be fully explored to this day. The unknown areas are the sites of numerous legends involving stolen loot and hidden treasures.
The Old Mine and the Spanish Treasure
Following the independence of Mexico in 1821, many Spanish-born inhabitants stayed within Mexican territory, hoping the Spanish troops would reconquer the land. The Mexican government, fearing another conquest, passed a law that banished Spaniards from the nation.
The decree forced a group of wealthy Spaniards to leave the country. Most held a high economic status in Mexico where they owned businesses-including mines, farms, orchards, shops, and property.
According to legends, the Spaniards have collected a vast amount of treasure and hid it inside the Old Mine located on the outskirts of the City of Chihuahua. It is said that only two Spaniards know of the exact location of the buried treasure. The Spaniards left their treasure with the intention of financing a reconquest of Mexico. However, the men were later repatriated to Cuba, which was still under the control of Spain.
In 1829, Fernando VII reclaimed his position as the King of Spain after the 1808 French Invasion. He sent out over 4,000 soldiers to reconquer Mexico and expected the Mexican population to support their plans. The two Spaniards who knew the secret location of the treasures joined the battalion.
The Spanish party was quickly defeated near the coast of Veracruz. The Spaniards who knew the exact location of the buried treasure also perished in the battle. The descendants and relatives of the Spaniards only knew of the history of the Old Mine. For years, they tried to find the treasure but failed to uncover any trace of it. To this day, the treasure remains buried deep in the hills.
Treasure of Miñaca
In the 1800s, a midwife lived in what is now known as La Junta, Chihuahua. She was renowned as one of the region's best midwife and regularly assisted women during childbirth.
One early morning, a group of Apaches, who were feared for committing multiple robberies and murders, appeared on her doorstep and requested her services. The midwife was blindfolded and taken to a remote, mountain location.
At the mountaintop, the strangers removed her blindfold and led her into a cave where an indigenous woman was in labor. The woman was said to be the relative of the chief of the tribe. She successfully helped the mother through her difficult labor and delivered the baby, who was a male. The Indians rejoiced over the birth of an heir. As a reward, they gave the midwife several gold items from their boon. The midwife was escorted to her home in town.
She did not know the exact location of the cave, but she suspected it was located at the hill of Miñaca. The midwife purchased a large tract of land and several heads of cattle with the treasure she was given, fueling rumors of a tremendous amount of treasure in a cave somewhere on the mountain. To this day, no one knows whether the cave was ever found.